Adventures in PubSmart (part three) by Kate Tilton

by Adventures in YA Publishing

I am thrilled to be back on Adventures in YA Publishing to share some highlights from one of the best keynote speeches I have attended. Many of you likely know Jane Friedman already, but if you don’t be sure to follow her on Twitter and check out her latest adventure, Scratch Magazine, a must-read for authors about writing & money.

If you are new to this PubSmart series please take a minute to check out the first two parts covering tips from the master classes. Part one IBPA’s Mini Publishing University and part two Social Savvy & Media Mastery are jam packed with information to help you publish smarter.

Keynote

What Does It Mean to Publish? by Jane Friedman

Highlights:

The 1800s experienced a shift to universal literacy; now we are experiencing a shift to universal authorship.
Publishing is now instant, so instead of asking, “why publish this?” we are asking “why not?”
Instead of scarcity of content we are now faced with scarcity of attention.
From the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press to the 20th century, to print something was to amplify it.
Now distribution can be done by everyone. This shift among others leads us to where boundaries and routes are blurred and gatekeeping has become filtering.
Authors must focus on lifetime marketing because the conversation never stops.
There is a quickening pace in publishing as it is easier to sell to existing readers than to gain new ones.
We are seeing dynamic pricing and giveaways being used to build loyalty before monetization. “Free” is the tool of the unknown.
Serial and mobile driven content like Kindle serials, Rooster, and Wattpad are growing.
Author co-ops are forming, such as bestselling box sets featuring multiple authors.
Trans-media is growing, where one story is developed for different forms of media such as television, audio, print, etc.
The power of social media is in the information it gives you about your audience and finding your readership.
Instead of taking on an adversarial relationship with others, focus on how you can help them reach their goals.
We are not going back to the way things were.

I loved Jane’s message. Too often we waste time debating over what is the “right” way to publish or what to call this method or that method. Instead we should focus on what is and how we can all publish smarter no matter the route we choose. Because we are not going back to the way things were. We are moving forward. Together. If you have any questions about this article, publishing, or social media I would love to hear from you. We are all in this together! Just leave a comment below or connect with me on my website, katetilton.com.

About Jane Friedman:

Jane Friedman has spent more than 15 years in the media industry as an editor, publisher, and professor. Currently she serves as the web editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR), based at the University of Virginia, where she also teaches digital publishing and online writing. Her newest digital media initiative is Scratch magazine, a quarterly publication for writers, all about the intersection of writing and money.

Before joining VQR, Jane was the publisher of Writer’s Digest, a $10-million multimedia brand where she was responsible for the business strategy and financial performance of a team of twenty, which covered editorial, design, advertising, and online media operations. She also worked personally with many authors and oversaw the publication of hundreds of books.

Her expertise on the transformation of the publishing industry has been featured throughout many events and media, including NPR’s Morning Edition, Frankfurt Book Fair, Publishers Weekly, SXSW, Nieman Journalism Lab, and AWP. Since 2001, she has spoken at hundreds of writing and industry conferences, and has also served on panels and advisory boards for nonprofits such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund.

About Kate Tilton:
Kate Tilton has been in love with books for as long as she can remember. Kate believes books saved her life and strives to repay authors for bringing books into the world by serving as a dependable author assistant. A cat-lover and fan of many geeky things, Kate can likely be found curled up with the latest Doctor Who episode, plotting world takeover, or assisting authors and readers in any way she can. Kate is also a self-proclaimed Twitter addict. You will find her hosting #K8chat, her own creation, every Thursday night on Twitter from 9-10pm Eastern.

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And don’t forget to tune in for the last three posts in the PubSmart series, coming May 10th, 22nd and 24th!

Adventures in YA Publishing

This is the user name for posts from Adventures in YA Publishing that did not have a specific author.

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Posted: May 8, 2014

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Promotion

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Thank you to the women who started Adventures in YA Publishing and ran it for years. AYAP and TMM have merged to form Adventures in PUPlishing, and the legacy AYAP posts are now part of TMM. Click here to learn more about the earlier AYAP team.

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← Previous: Love or Market: Which is More Important? Agents Reveal Their Thoughts Next: Craft of Writing: People are More Human than Anybody by Jane Nickerson →

The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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